COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL
MEETING OF TALLAGHT AREA COMMITTEE (2)
Monday, February 23, 2009
QUESTION NO. 6
QUESTION: Councillor M. Corr
"To ask the Manager to outline the reasons for An Bord Pleanalas recent refusal of an application for an incinerator at Behans Quarry and indicate how these reasons compare with the Council's original submission opposing this project?"
REPLY:
An Bord Pleanala, on 6th February 2009, issued a decision to refuse a planning application in respect of the N7, Resource Recovery Project at Behan’s Quarry, Windmill Hill, Rathcoole.
An Bord attached the three conditions set out below in their refusal of the proposed waste to energy facility at Behan's Quarry Rathcoole:
1. The Waste Management Plan for the Dublin Region 2005 – 2010, the objectives of which are deemed to be included in the South Dublin County Development Plan
2004 – 2010, has as an objective the provision of one waste to energy facility for the Region at Poolbeg. Having regard to the approval granted under Section 175 of the
Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended, for the facility at Poolbeg, it is considered that the additional facility as proposed would be in conflict with the
integrated approach to waste management for the Dublin Region as set out in the said Waste Management Plan and would therefore be contrary to the development
plan for the area and to the proper planning and sustainable development of the area.
2. The proposed development of a new and large scale industrial type facility with associated significant traffic generation, including a large percentage of Heavy
Commercial Vehicles, with direct access onto the N7 National Primary Route (Dublin – Naas section, six lane dual carriageway), albeit using an existing
established quarry entrance would, by reason of the additional traffic generated using direct access to the National Primary Route, be contrary to the objectives of
the planning authority (which objectives are considered reasonable) to preserve the level of service and carrying capacity of the National Primary Road and to protect
the public investment in the road.
3. The site of the proposed development is located in complex (hilly) terrain, within a quarry void and where the proposed stack height is low relative to adjacent ground
levels to the southeast and where, due to the location and orientation of the site relative to Casement Aerodrome, there are constraints on the height of the stack in
the interest of air traffic safety. Due to the lack of site specific meteorological measurements and the use of meteorological measurements from Casement
Aerodrome to input into the air dispersion models, the Board is not satisfied that sufficiently accurate data has been used in the modelling or that the models can
reliably predict the effect of process emissions on ambient air quality close to the proposed stack. The proposed development would constitute an unacceptable risk of
pollution of the environment and would, therefore, be unacceptable on environmental grounds having regard to the proper planning and sustainable
development of the area.
With respect to reasons one and two these are in line with the submitted Manger’s report of July 2008 and the evidence and submissions made by the Planning Authority during the oral hearing during November and early December last. With respect to the last reason for refusal the Manager’s report did ask the Bord to investigate the issues surrounding the height of the stack relative to the surrounding topography. The Bord took specialist technical advice that as part of their assessment of the proposed development and this appears to form the basis for arriving at this refusal reason.